


Long Sleeves

by indigorose50



Series: Indigowallbreaker's Lazytown Prompts [22]
Category: LazyTown
Genre: Dermatillomania, Friendship, Gen, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-05-11
Packaged: 2018-10-30 18:43:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10882713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indigorose50/pseuds/indigorose50
Summary: Prompt: could you possibly write a short drabble about Robbie having dermatillomania? Maybe Sport finds out by accidentally seeing his scars..?





	Long Sleeves

Robbie was sitting in the park, minding his own business thank you very much, when Sportaflop cartwheeled in front of him.

“Hi, Robbie!” He said, sitting beside Robbie on the bench.

Robbie shifted over, more to put distance between them than to give Sportacus room, “Did you need something?”

“Not really. I just wanted to ask you something I’ve been wondering for a while. You know, now that we’re friends.”

“When did we become friends?”

“Well, you haven’t tried to kick me out of town in over a month…”

The absence of malice didn’t necessarily mean friendship but Robbie had to admit, he had been finding the elf more tolerable lately. So maybe Sportacus wasn’t far off in his thinking.

Robbie waved his hand in a ‘get on with it’ sort of way, “What did you want to ask?” 

“Why do you always wear long sleeves?”

A cold lump of dread dropped into Robbie’s gut.

“I… Uh,” Robbie bit his lip.

Sportacus went on, “I just worry about you napping up here in long sleeves while it’s summer. Why don’t you ever wear short sleeves? You must be sweating in that shirt.”

Robbie considered lying. It was always easy to lie to Sportacus. But apparently Sportacus was  _worried_ about Robbie. And he sort of had a point; even now, just sitting here, Robbie was uncomfortably warm in his layers.

“I… well…,” Robbie sighed, “I guess I can show you.”

Slowly, Robbie rolled up the sleeve of his left arm. He kept his eyes on the ground. 

He heard Sportacus gasp as his arm was revealed, “Robbie…” there was a brief brush of fingertips against his shoulder but they were gone the next second. Robbie knew perfectly well what his arms looked like. They was covered in small, red, circular scars. Some spots were as big has his finger nail. Others were smaller bumps. He hated every one of them.

“How…?” Sportacus asked softly.

“It was me,” Robbie said, still looking at the ground, “I used to pick at my arms a lot. I still sometimes do, but if I’m wearing long sleeves then I can’t…well…” he shrugged his left arm, “do  _this_.”

Sportacus was quiet for a while. Long enough that Robbie finally looked up at him. The elf was examining Robbie’s arm, his fingers hovering just above Robbie’s skin like the arm was a painting he knew he couldn’t touch. Robbie expected a lecture on how ‘unhealthy’ it was.

“I’m sorry,” Sportacus said instead, “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“It’s… fine.” Robbie rolled down his sleeve again, “And you’re not wrong, it _is_  really hot out.”

The pair was silent for a time. Robbie kept waiting for Sportacus to ask more questions or to act repulsed and flip away, never to speak to Robbie again.

When Sportacus did stand up, he turned to Robbie with a determined look on his face, “There have to be other ways to stop yourself from picking. Ways that don’t involve you suffering in the heat.”

Robbie stared up at him. 

“I’ll go online and look up ways other people have coped with this. Wanna meet me back here tomorrow? We can have lunch together!”

Robbie continued to stare.

“Robbie? Are you okay?”

Robbie blinked rapidly and sniffed, “Yeah, I’m okay. Just,” he cleared his throat and crossed his arms, “I just can’t  _believe_  how much of a hero you are. Are you sure it’s not a complex?”

Sportacus laughed, “I’m not trying to be a hero, Robbie. I’m trying to be a good friend!”

With that, he flipped away towards his ship, leaving Robbie to wonder why he tried so hard to force the elf out of town in the first place.

 


End file.
